WhatsApp error 133000: previous deregistration attempt failed
Error 133000 means an earlier attempt to deregister the phone number failed, so the number cannot be registered until that is resolved. Meta's description is "A previous deregistration attempt failed." The fix Meta gives is to deregister the number again, then register it. Both endpoints are limited to 10 requests per number in a 72 hour moving window.
Meta's code for "A previous deregistration attempt failed."
Requests allowed to the register or deregister endpoint per number in a moving 72 hours.
The code returned once that limit is exceeded, blocking the number for 72 hours.
What does WhatsApp error 133000 mean?
It means the platform still has an unfinished deregistration on record for this number, and it will not register the number on top of it.
Meta lists 133000 with the details text "A previous deregistration attempt failed" and a one line remedy: deregister the number again before registering. The error therefore usually appears on a register call, even though the cause lies in an earlier deregister call.
Deregistration is done with a POST to the deregister endpoint of the phone number ID. Meta's registration guide warns that it makes the number unusable with Cloud API until it is registered again, and that it does not delete the number or its message history.
How do you fix error 133000?
Repeat the deregistration, confirm it succeeded, then register.
A successful deregister call returns success set to true. Only once you have that response should the register call follow, with the messaging_product field and the number's six digit two-step verification PIN.
The deregister call needs the whatsapp_business_management permission. Meta's registration guide says a deregister request without it returns error 200, which can be mistaken for a second failure of the same kind. If the deregister call itself keeps failing, read the details value in each response before sending another, because every attempt counts toward the limit described below.
Why does the attempt limit matter here?
Because fixing this error is itself a sequence of attempts, and Meta caps them.
The registration guide limits both the register and deregister endpoints to 10 requests per business number in a 72 hour moving window. Exceeding it returns error 133016, and the number is then blocked from that operation for the next 72 hours.
A script that loops deregister and register calls after a failure can spend the allowance in seconds and leave the number unusable for three days. Make each attempt deliberately, log the response, and stop to investigate after two or three failures rather than continuing automatically.
Common mistakes
- Calling register again without deregistering first. Meta's remedy requires the deregistration to complete before registering.
- Looping register and deregister calls automatically. Ten requests in 72 hours is the limit, and exceeding it blocks the number.
- Deregistering without whatsapp_business_management. That returns error 200, which hides the real state of the number.
EasyCoexistence connects numbers through Meta's Embedded Signup flow for Coexistence, and Meta's registration guide notes that the deregister endpoint cannot be used on a number in use with both the app and Cloud API.
Frequently asked questions
Does deregistering delete my number?
No. Meta's registration guide says deregistration does not delete the number or its message history.
Can I deregister a Coexistence number with the API?
No. Meta says the deregister endpoint cannot be used on a number in use with both Cloud API and the WhatsApp Business app.
What happens after 10 attempts?
The API returns 133016 and blocks the number from that operation for the next 72 hours.
Do I need the PIN to register again?
Yes. Registration takes the number's six digit two-step verification PIN when two-step verification is enabled.
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